The Mets bullpen, already a mess with the suspension of Edwin Diaz for using an illegal substance before he entered Sunday’s win in Chicago against the Cubs, is now also without Drew Smith, who was placed on the 15-day IL on Wednesday with a right elbow sprain.
Asked after Wednesday’s 12-2 win over the Yankees if surgery could be possible for Smith, Carlos Mendoza said doctors were still gathering information.
Right-hander Ty Adcock was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to take Smith’s spot on the roster.
Mendoza said Smith played catch Wednesday and “felt some tightness in his forearm.”
Smith was sent for an MRI exam, which showed the sprain.
Asked if it was related to Smith’s appearance Sunday in Chicago, when he replaced the ejected Diaz and displayed some discomfort with his arm during that outing, Mendoza said Smith “didn’t pinpoint” any particular issue after the appearance.
“He just had a hard time getting warm,’’ Mendoza said. “[Tuesday and Wednesday] he just had some tightness there. He doesn’t sound too concerned, but he still feels something there and we want to make sure we’re not missing anything to put him at risk.”
The 30-year-old Smith has mostly struggled in 19 appearances this season.
Diaz, who has not addressed the media since the 10-game suspension was handed down, was not made available again prior to Wednesday’s game against the Yankees.
Because he is suspended, the Mets are short-handed in the pen.
Adcock, 27, pitched a dozen games with the Mariners a year ago and had a 0.702 WHIP over 15 ²/₃ innings.
The Mets selected him off waivers from the Tigers in May, but Adcock did not pitch well at any of the three Triple-A stops he made this season, starting with Seattle’s affiliate earlier in the year.
They are already without Sean Reid-Foley, who is on the 15-day IL with right shoulder impingement, as well as left-hander Brooks Raley, out for the season following elbow surgery.
Without Diaz, Mendoza said he will use a closer by committee.
The pen struggled in the Subway Series opener against the Yankees on Tuesday.
The Mets had an eight-run lead heading into the seventh, and Danny Young gave up a homer to Aaron Judge in the sixth on Wednesday, but Adrian Houser’s three shutout innings to finish it saved some arms heading into Thursday’s off day.